Supported by Peter Whelpton, the York Opportunity Awards have given nine students the prospect of pursuing their education free from social constraints.

The York Opportunity Awards were established in 2010 through the generosity of alumnus Peter Whelpton to help those who have overcome significant personal or social barriers to achieve their educational goals, giving these talented students the same chance as those who come from more fortunate backgrounds.

The difference this makes to the award recipients is beyond measure, with one student stating that it gave them “equal freedom to enjoy my life here as many of my peers, who hadn’t faced the same challenges that I had.”

The University’s Widening Participation team were delighted to award nine new York Opportunity Awards to undergraduates for 2016/17. These awards are transforming the lives of the students they support and the need for them continues to grow (there were nearly 200 applications for the nine awards). We are immensely grateful for the generosity of Peter Whelpton and others like him, who partner with the University to reduce educational inequality through philanthropy.